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On
July 2, 1998, a vehicle with an
entirely new concept first
rolled off the assembly line:
the smart fortwo. On that date
an extraordinary success story
commenced in Hambach, France.
Until now, the compact
two-seater has become the
vehicle of choice of more than
900,000 customers in 37
countries. The smart fortwo soon
got cult status and is the only
automobile which is still in
production to be displayed at
New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
Since beginning of 2008 the
smart is being successfully sold
in the U.S. and starting from
mid 2009 it will also be
available in China. For 2010 the
first smart electric drive of
the current vehicle generation
is planned.
In
the tenth year since its market
launch, more than 900,000 smart fortwos
have been delivered to customers.
smart fortwo electric
drive to be introduced in 2010
At
the end of last year, smart
launched a pilot project in
London, for which the company
and selected fleet customers are
jointly testing 100 smart fortwo
electric drive to determine how
the vehicles perform under
conditions encountered in
everyday use. “We are currently
developing a smart fortwo with
electric drive and lithium-ion
batteries, and we plan to
introduce an electric drive
version of the current smart
generation in 2010,” said
Zetsche. “
smart today
Whatever their lifestyles or
origins may be, customers from
all over the world today are
enthusiastic about the smart.
For many, the smart fortwo is a
kind of ‘automotive declaration
of independence’. Measuring
barely over two-and-a-half
meters in length, the car even
fits into parking spaces
crosswise. The vehicle safely
and comfortably transports two
passengers, while also having
enough room for their luggage.
The car is also climate-friendly
as it is very fuel efficient and
exemplary in terms of CO2
emissions. Even ten years ago,
the smart was thus already
providing solutions to many
urgent questions related to
urban mobility.
The diesel-powered smart
is the world champion for low CO2
emissions
In
the rear of the smart fortwo is
a compact, cutting-edge
three-cylinder engine with a
displacement of 999 cubic
centimeters. The engine versions
currently available in Western
Europe consist of two naturally
aspirated engines generating 61 and 71 hp,
respectively, as well as a
turbocharged engine with an
output of 84 hp.
The brand also offers a diesel
variant — the smart fortwo cdi,
which is the world champion in
terms of low CO2
emissions. The 45 hp
two-seater consumes an average
of 3.3 litres of fuel per 100
kilometers (NEDC) and can travel
for about 1,000 kilometers
before having to be refuelled. At
88 grams per kilometre, the car
also has the world’s lowest CO2
emissions of a series-production
vehicle. Twenty percent of smart
drivers in Germany and Italy
take to the road in the
fuel-efficient diesel variant.
To
further reduce CO2
emissions of the petrol
engines, smart also offers the
smart fortwo mhd (micro hybrid
drive) in Europe. The vehicle
has an output of 71 hp and
is equipped with an intelligent
start/stop system that
automatically turns off the
engine when the car moves at
less than 8 km/h and the driver
applies the brakes. The engine
turns on again as soon as the
driver takes his or her foot off
the brake pedal. The start/stop
function reduces standard
consumption by about 0.4 litres
— from 4.7 litres per 100
kilometres to around 4.3 litres
per 100 kilometers. CO2
emissions meanwhile are reduced
from an average of 112 grams to
approx. 103 grams per kilometre.
News provided by
www.electric-smart-car.co.uk
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